Changing of the guard

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May 9th, 2002, 12:54 PM

kerry

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Changing of the guard

Im arriving in London on the 13th and staying for 2 weeks. Does anyone know the schedule for the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. I heard it is every other day but want to know the days so I can plan. The 13th is a tues.Thanks Kerry

May 9th, 2002, 12:57 PM

Jean Valjean

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If I recall correctly, during this season it takes place every day at 11:00 You may get a lot more info at http://www.changing-guard.com/sched.htm

May 9th, 2002, 01:07 PM

Lala

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Bring stilts and arrive early. Being short and arrivign late, we didn't see much and it was disappionting.

May 9th, 2002, 01:57 PM

Uncle Sam

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...and be prepared to be very bored. IMHO it is one of the most over rated travel events. The only really good thing was when it was over and they marched out of the palace. The Horseguards parade is far better and seems to be less crowded, US

May 9th, 2002, 02:22 PM

Melissa

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I also thought it was grossly over rated. I think you may get a better view from the fountain across the street. I am short and was pressed up against the fence, so my view was limited.

May 9th, 2002, 03:53 PM

ALISON

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Make sure also that the guards are not called away to another location or you will not see anything. For example, we got there early but the queen was entertaining the president from Africa so she had the guards go to Windsor with them.

May 9th, 2002, 04:46 PM

Jan

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Kerry yes you should check out the web site, whether you found it thought it was boring or not it is one of those things you should take the time to see - not sure what people expected as it is just the changing of the guard - not sure how exciting something like that could be made. It is worth the effort to see! Have a great holiday!

May 9th, 2002, 05:48 PM

wes fowler

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Recognize that the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is a ceremony where, in essence, you see two guys getting off work. At the Changing of the Guard at Horse Guards, there are six guys getting off work and their horses too. Go for the latter.

May 9th, 2002, 06:06 PM

rand

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Wes. The changing of the guard is about two guys getting off work. Yes. The ceremony of the keys is about one night watchman getting off work and handing the keys over to tonights shift. People pay £10 months in advance for the opportunity to watch that. Somehow I think it is a little bit about the 'pomp and ceremony' of history. Do people line up to watch the shift change at the local nike sweatshop? My advice to see the show. Wait for a rainy day, buy a brolly, and stake out the top step of the Queen Victoria Monument. The brolly is useful even on a sunny day to defend your position. Remember, high ground and good defensive weapons have served well throughout history.

May 9th, 2002, 10:58 PM

#10

janis

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Correction rand: The Keys ceremony is free. There is no charge to get the tickets but they do have to be booked months ahead of time (Did someone charge you £10?) As for whether the changing of the guard is worth it - One time only IF you have a whole morning to devote to it. You must get there at leats 60-90 minutes early to be able to see anything. The best part is the music (anything from Military anthems, to Sousa to Beatles to Broadway tunes).

May 10th, 2002, 12:11 AM

#11

Ben Haines

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It is one of the fairly pointless things that tourists do because they have heard that they had to. The bands are indeed good, and they have 20 band concerts each summer in St James Park, between the palace and Whitehall. You can phone 020 7298 2122 to find times, and you can see http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/james_events.htm Welcome to London Ben Haines

May 10th, 2002, 04:08 AM

#12

Ben Haines

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A first for Fodors forum. I phoned a helpful lady at the Public Affairs office of the Royal Parks, 020 7298 2065 (fax 020 7298 2121), and she has sent me details of band concerts in St James Park, between the palace and Whitehall. Community bands from the Home Counties abd beyond play on 11 June at 1239, then at 3 and 5.30 on Saturdays and Sundays from 6 July to 28 August. The programme is still in proof with the printers, so you are the first to read this. The leading army bands that play at the changing of the guard play also at Beating the Retreat at seven on 11 and 12 June, and at the Queen s Birthday Parade at eleven on 15 June. Both are on http://www.army.mod.uk/ceremonialandheritage/events/ . There is open air music in the Embankment Gardens, next to Embankment tube station, at weekends and bank holidays. This is not band music, but jazz, folk, and even, once, two hours of English people doing Egyptian belly dancing, a wholly unerotic event. Detail will be available later on 020 7641 5264. Welcome to London. Ben Haines

May 12th, 2002, 07:39 PM

#13

rand

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No Janis. I guess the references I have read about agents charging for tickets should be ammended to scalpers. I have not dropped by any Nike sweatshops lately either.

May 12th, 2002, 07:57 PM

#14

janis

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rand: HM Tower of London id VERY careful that Key ceremony tickets do not fall into the hands of scalpers or agencies. Commercial brokers cannot handle the tickets and only private parties - who must include their individuall addresses with each request - are sent the free tickets. Once I took 12 friends to the Ceremony and had to REALLY jump through hoops to get 13 tickets. They have a strict limit of 7 tickets per request. After SIX letters back and forth and the names/addresses and signatures of each member of my party, they did allow the 13 tickets. And no matter how many are in the party there is only ONE ticket which clearly lists the number to be admitted and the NAME of one of them. It would be very hard for a scalper to fake all that.

May 28th, 2002, 04:45 AM

#15

Ben Haines

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A new Fodors first. Hot off the press, the music given free at the bandstand in the Embankment gardens, just by Embankment tube station. VICTORIA EMBANKMENT GARDENS BANDSTAND PERFORMANCES FOR 2002 SEASON (ALL FREE) DATE TIME PERFORMANCE 1-6-02 Sa 1500/1700hrs Open Dance Festival 2-6-02 Su 1200/2000hrs Open Dance Festival 3-6-02 M 1230/1500hrs Laurie Chescoe?s Good Time Jazz The New York Café Band 4?6?02 Tu 1230/1400hrs Robin Jones Sextet 5?6?02 Wd 1230/1400hrs Tziganka Russian Ensemble 6?6?02 Th 1230/1400hrs Deidre Cartwright Trio 7?6?02 Fr 1230/1400hrs Summer Academy of Arts 8?6?02 Sa 1230/1400hrs 9?6?02 Su 1400/1800hrs Mime Festival 10?6?02 Md 1230/1400hrs Trillium Brass Quartet 11?6?02 Tu 1230/1400hrs Zubop 12-6?02 Wd 1230/1400hrs The Magna Jazz Band 13?6?02 Th 1230/1400hrs Narma Akhtar Band 14?6?02 Fr 1230/1400hrs Kansas Ambassadors 15?6?02 Sa 1500/1700hrs 16?6?02 Su 1400/1800hrs Westminster Youth Slam 17?6?02 Mu 1230/1400hrs Missouri Ambassadors 18?6?02 Tu 1230/1400hrs Chris Biscoe Band 19?6?02 Wd 1230/1400hrs 20?6?02 Th 1230/1400hrs Roger Beaujolais Band

May 28th, 2002, 04:47 AM

#16

Ben Haines

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A new Fodors first. Hot off the press, the music given free at the bandstand in the Embankment gardens, just by Embankment tube station. VICTORIA EMBANKMENT GARDENS BANDSTAND PERFORMANCES FOR 2002 SEASON (ALL FREE) DATE TIME PERFORMANCE 16 02 Sa 1500/1700hrs Open Dance Festival 2 6 02 Su 1200/2000hrs Open Dance Festival 3 6 02 M 1230/1500hrs Laurie Chescoe?s Good Time Jazz The New York Café Band 4 6 02 Tu 1230/1400hrs Robin Jones Sextet 5 6 02 Wd 1230/1400hrs Tziganka Russian Ensemble 6 6 02 Th 1230/1400hrs Deidre Cartwright Trio 7 6 02 Fr 1230/1400hrs Summer Academy of Arts 8 6 02 Sa 1230/1400hrs 9 6 02 Su 1400/1800hrs Mime Festival 10 6 02 Md 1230/1400hrs Trillium Brass Quartet 11 6 02 Tu 1230/1400hrs Zubop 12 6 02 Wd 1230/1400hrs The Magna Jazz Band 13 6 02 Th 1230/1400hrs Narma Akhtar Band 14 6 02 Fr 1230/1400hrs Kansas Ambassadors 15 6 02 Sa 1500/1700hrs 16 6 02 Su 1400/1800hrs Westminster Youth Slam 17 6 02 Mu 1230/1400hrs Missouri Ambassadors 18 6 02 Tu 1230/1400hrs Chris Biscoe Band 19 6 02 Wd 1230/1400hrs 20 6 02 Th 1230/1400hrs Roger Beaujolais Band

May 28th, 2002, 04:48 AM

#17

Ben Haines

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21 6 02 Fr 1230/1400hrs Indiana Ambassadors 22 6 02 Sa 1500/1700hrs Eastern European Folk Group 23 6 02 Su 1400/1700hrs Midsummer Poetry Festival 1500/1700hrs 24 6 02 Md 1230/1400hrs Colorado Ambassadors 25 6 02 Tu 1230/1400hrs Ed Jones Quintet 26 6 02 Wd 1230/1400hrs Illinois Ambassadors 27 6 02 Th 1230/1400hrs Iain Ballamy 28 6 02 Fr 1230/1400hrs The Covenant Garden String Quartet 29 6 02 Sa 1400/1600hrs Wisconsin 30 6 02 Su 1500/1700hrs Greek Dancers 1 7 02 Md 1230/1400hrs Trillium Brass Quartet 2 7 02 Tu 1230/1400hrs Jonathan Gee Quartet 3 7 02 Wd 1230/1400hrs Kentucky Ambassadors 4 7 02 Th 1230/1400hrs Stiching Strangelove 5 7 02 Fr 1230/1400hrs Iowa Ambassadors 1730/1900hrs 6 7 02 Sa 1500/1700hrs Hungarian Folk Group 7 7 02 Su 1400/1800hrs Out of Africa 8 7 02 Md 1230/1400hrs Minnesota Ambassadors 9 7 02 Tu 1230/1400hrs Billy Jenkins Blues Collective 10 7 02 Wd 1230/1400hrs 11 7 02 Th 1230/1400hrs Inside Out Theatre 12 7 02 Fr 1215/1415hrs Texas / Washington Ambassadors 13 7 02 Sa 1300/1400hrs Texas Girls Choir 14 7 02 Su 1500/1700hrs Central London International Folk

May 28th, 2002, 04:49 AM

#18

Ben Haines

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15 7 02 Md 1230/1400hrs 16 7 02 Tu 1230/1400hrs Keith Waithe?s Jazz Odyssey 17 7 02 W 1215/1415hrs California / Virginia ambassadors 18 7 02 Th 1230/1400hrs Quick Change Theatre 19 7 02 Fr 1230/1400hrs 20 7 02 Sa 1300/1400hrs Michigan Ambassadors 21 7 02 Su 1400/1800hrs Out of Asia 22 7 02 Md 1230/1400hrs 23 7 02 Tu 1230/1400hrs Davide Mantovani Quintet 24 7 02 Wd 1230/1400hrs 25 7 02 Th 1230/1400hrs Cheers and Chains 26 7 02 Fr 1230/1400hrs 27 7 02 Sa 1500/1700hrs Peter Miles Tbc 28 7 02 Su 1500/1700hrs Nick Hurst TBC 29 7 02 Md 1230/1400hrs Music & Travel 30 7 02 Tu 1230/1430hrs 31 7 02 Wd 1230/1430hrs 1 8 02 Th 1230/1400hrs 2 8 02 Fr 1230/1400hrs 3 8 02 Sa 1230/1400hrs 4 8 02 Su 1230/1400hrs 5 8 02 Md 1230/1400hrs Unforgettable Moments

Oct 7th, 2002, 05:25 AM

#19

Ric

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I'll be in London 10/17-10/23. I know changing of the guard is every other day at 11:20 in off season which we are now in. I'll check around the web to see if I can find the schedule and if anyone knows the schedule (as far as what days, it would be helpful for my pre-planning....just want to plan it right on my itinerary. Any help appreciated!...